Saturday, May 5, 2012

Aquino’s unwavering commitment to the neoliberal dogmaBy BENJIE OLIVEROSBulatlat.com
Rarely does one see Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to be so
unequivocal and firm about policy issues. But recently, he did exhibit
political will and decisiveness. Unfortunately for the working people,
he demonstrated his resolve in rejecting two important issues
confronting the Filipino worker: the call for a P125 increase in the
daily minimum wage nationwide, and a proposed law prohibiting
contractualization of labor. For this, he was branded as “anti-worker”
by progressive labor groups.

However, there is more to President Aquino than just being
anti-worker. Sure, he has shown nothing but disdain for the Filipino
masses by making it difficult for the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita
to obtain the land that is truly theirs and with no accomplishment to
boast of, not even a single showcase, in agrarian reform. He has also
repeatedly rejected any form of relief for the suffering Filipino worker
who is being deprived of the right to a decent wage, secure employment,
and right to unionize. Even his promotion of the conditional cash
transfer program, which encourages patronage politics and mendicancy,
demonstrates how he views the Filipino working masses..... MORE

After reporting this week on a Pentagon-created plan for interning
activists at re-education camps, questions were asked about the US Army
manual that allegedly outlines the resettling of US citizens. Can
Americans be sent to propaganda prisons?

Now as more and more news organizations are investigating the recently unearthed military manual, FM 3-39.40 Internment and Resettlement Operations,
verification is coming in that the callous plans to populate military
camps in the US and abroad are not only authentic, but indeed
establishes blueprints for putting the country’s own citizens into
guarded Army detainment centers..... MORE

Stargazers will be treated to a rare glimpse of a “Supermoon” this
weekend when our celestial neighbor strays closest to Earth. During the
annual display, the moon appears to swell larger in size and wax in
brightness.

Scientists say that the moon will look 14 per cent bigger and 30 per
cent brighter than all the other full moons of 2012 and will be visible
at its peak from 03:00 GMT on Sunday for approximately 35 minutes.

“Every
year there are 13 new moons and 13 full moons, occasionally producing
some exceptional spectacles. A Supermoon happens when the moon’s
elliptical orbit swings it closest to the Earth,” said senior scientist from the Russian Pulkovo observatory, Sergey Smirnov..... MORE

The US is preparing to face FBI-drafted legislation enabling it to
monitor any personal communication activities in the web. It aims to use
preset backdoors in social networks, online messaging, internet
telephony and even Xbox gaming servers.

­Tech media website Cnet.com has obtained information that the FBI is
already in talks with internet giants on an unprecedented surveillance
program, having the legislation approved by the Department of Justice.

The FBI intends surreptitiously to rush a law obliging companies
like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to install government
surveillance options into their software on default..... MORE

What farmworkers need is land; they legally own Hacienda Luisita and
the recent SC decision affirmed that. They should be given all the help
they need to make the land fully productive again.” – UMA
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura and the Alyansa
ng Mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita declared their opposition
to the recent announcement of the Department of Social Work and
Development (DSWD) that it will implement its dole-out program in the
hacienda. They said the Benigno Aquino III administration’s recent tack
to enter the farmworkers in the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran
(SEA-K], the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the Social Pension for
senior citizens and the Cash for Work Program all under the DSWD was
aimed at further delaying the transfer of ownership of the hacienda to
the farmworkers.

In a recent statement, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said
she has ordered the DSWD field office in Central Luzon to organize an
inter-agency meeting to assess its short-term plans. She said the agency
should also address “the pressing needs brought about by new
developments in Hacienda Luisita.”
Soliman said the DSWD will look further into “other appropriate
social service interventions needed by the farmers to ensure that they
will not go hungry and further bear the brunt of poverty while waiting
for their land titles.”.... MORE

Department
of Tourism chief Ramon Jimenez may soon find out it’s not fun to place
“It’s more fun in the Philippines” advertisements in Cable News Network
(CNN) and it won’t be fun either for him and his department when a
senator threatens to cut off his tourism budget to P1 when budget time
comes around.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III is
demanding the pullout of the reported P63-million advertisement
placement in CNN spent by the government for its tourism campaign, shown
in Asia, the United States and Europe.

The senator wants an
explanation from the Department of Tourism (DoT) and has threatened to
block the approval of the agency’s budget for next year, when it is
taken up in Congress, if Jimenez fails to justify the funding for the
television commercial that premiered in the international news channel..... MORE

By Charlie V. Manalo 05/05/2012
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) yesterday called for the
scrapping of the Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
which it blamed for the increasing tension with China in the West
Philippine Sea where the disputed Kalayaan Islands Group (KIGs) and the
Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal are located.

As this developed, a
ranking leader of the House of Representatives, Marikina Rep. Marcelino
Teodoro, has expressed dismay at the US’ neutral position on the Panatag
Shoal issue despite existing military treaties.

In a statement,
the CPP said the 1951 RP-US MDT, which allows the continuing presence of
American troops in the country despite the pullout of US bases in 1991,
is one of the factors that prompt China to increased its alertness in
the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea..... MORE

05/05/2012
A large-scale magnetite-ore mining project in Ilocos and Pangasinan
which won a deal with the government shortly after President Aquino
assumed office is being opposed before the Supreme Court (SC).

Sen.
Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III yesterday led a group in asking the SC to
issue a writ of kalikasan and a temporary environmental protection
order against the project which had been signed by former executive
secretary Leandro Mendoza, acting on behalf of ex-President Gloria
Arroyo, and Altamina Exploration and Resources Inc. (Altamina) a day
before President Aquino assumed the presidency on June 30, 2010.

Pimentel’s
co-petitioners in the petition are Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond
Palatino; Santa, Ilocos Sur Mayor Jose Jesus Bueno; and other concerned
citizens from Ilocos Sur who claim that residents living along or near
the coastline may suffer from massive residential displacement,
saltwater flooding, soil erosion and landslides..... MORE

05/05/2012
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casio yesterday called on Customs Chief Ruffy
Biazon to take more aggressive steps against the smuggling and dumping
of imported meat products, calling it an acid test of his leadership in
the bureau.

Casio, chairman of the House committee on small
business and entrepreneurship development, said the five-day pig holiday
being called by hog raisers was justified given the governments failure
to protect local producers.

05/05/2012
Hot weather will continue to prevail over most parts of the country,
but isolated rainshowers will bring relief in the afternoon or evening,
the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

Weather forecaster Aldczar
Aurelio said a ridge of high-pressure area which brings warm weather is
extending across Southern Luzon and the Visayas.

He added the rainy season may come as early as the third week of May or the first week of June..... MORE

A
special task force has been created to investigate the killing of the
vice-mayor of Mambusao town in Capiz province early Friday, the
Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.

Vice Mayor Abel Martinez was shot six times and was declared dead on arrival at the town’s district hospital.
Initial
reports disclosed that the killing took place at about 6 a.m. when the
vice-mayor was standing in front of his house. The alleged gunman
approached him and shot him at least six times..... MORE